Thursday, July 31, 2008

Never thought of a 'washer' in this light before..what a blessing!'Warshing Clothes Recipe' -- imagine having a recipe for this ! ! !Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe: This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.WARSHING CLOTHES

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles

1 pile white,

1 pile colored,

1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.

Paste this over your washer and dryer Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer, also your toilet---those two-holers used to get mighty cold!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Well I really got a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. It is marathon blue pearl. When we bought the van there was only 80 miles on the van. It is beautiful. It has everything my other post said it could have except -no sunroof, and -no swiveil seats with pop up table.BUTI couldn't be happier. I love my new van.Today I will take pictures and post them.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

This is a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. It is beautiful. I never thought I would be in love with the Caravan again. I mean I have a 2000 Dodge Caravan. It was used when we purchased it but, I always wanted one and I loved it. The first car I ever bought myself was a brand new Dodge Neon. It was purple. I love every inch of that car as soon as I saw it. Even at that time I loved the Mini vans but I wasn't married and didn't have children so I didn't see the point. When Chris and I first looked for a Minivan I knew I wanted a Dodge. When we looked for a truck we looked around and bought a Dodge 1500 Ram extended cab. I was really tired of how my caravan looked with the front down. I wanted a boxier car. Dodge must have been reading my mind. Also, I love the color it is called Sunburst Orange Pearl.Look at all the room in this van. It will carry 7 Passengers.The cup holders will fit large 20 oz. drinks.

It has the stow and go feature. All the seats in the second row and the third row will stow down into the floor. Or you can have the seats up and fill the cavities with stuff.

The windows on the second row, and the windows on the third row will actually go down. Yes I said they will go down. Awesome.

You can get three TV built into the van. You can watch three differnt things. The kids can be watching tv with headphones and I can listen to the radio. Also my ipod will hook right up to the stero system.

You can fold the seats in the third row all the way back and sit in the hatch. You can also have an automated hatch.

The second row of seats will turn all the way around and you can put a table up.

It has two glove compartments. It also has alot of buttons, and I love buttons.

This is a feature that I think was made just for me. This mirrow allows you to see to the back of the van, and holds your sunglasses. This means I can really use my rear view mirror to watch the traffic behind me. Yeah!

You can also get one with a sunroof. I don't think I really need a sunroof, but I had one in my Dodge Neon and the sunroof was what got Chris into my car that first day we meet.

I don't know if we will buy a new car, I hate payments.

But I really really really love this Dodge Grand Caravan. I have to say when we went to look at new cars I was really down because I didn't think that they had any Dodge's that I would be interested in. I thought we would have to look at the Town and Country or the Aspen. I was fine with that until I saw it. It was love at first sight.

One last thing about my new love. It has Flex Fuel. So it will take gas or up to 85% Ethenol. I realize you can't get Ethenol here however, we know it is coming.

Also, Dodge has started having a lifetime warranty on their motors. Wow they just keep getting better and better.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Monday, July 21, 2008

WE went to Pennsylvania to visit my family. As you know from the earlier post we had the 2nd Annual Stoner Family Reunion. Well Me, Chris, Bethany and Noah flew from Jacksonville, Fl to Pittsburg, Pa for the weekend. Thursday night's flight we arrived at the airport 2 hours before our flight. When we checked into the airport to receive our boarding passes we found out that the flight had been cancelled. Well that stunk. She told us that we could fly out the next morning at 10:22am. I said are you kidding me? My husband went to park the truck and I have two little kids and we are expected tonight. She said let me see what I can do. She said we were a priority because we had two small children. (I don't really believe that is true but it sounded good.) She was able to get us on the 6:15pm to Atlanta and we would be on time to catch our connecting flight. So off we went. I have only flown three times in my life. Once when I was 15 years old with the Uniontown Red Raider Band. I don't really remember alot about the airport. Then twice within the last two years to go home for funerals. Because of this my husband thinks I am an expert flyer. (why the one time he thinks I am an expert about something I am really clueless)He kept asking 'why do we have to take our shoes off, why do we have to show our I.D., He went on and on with the stupid questions. The best was we were on the way to the airport and he was joking about a bomb on the plane. I say you have to stop talking about that because their are signs at the airport that say 'we take security seriously, do not make jokes or comments about bombs' He didn't believe me until I pointed and read the sign out loud. He whined and whined about having to take his flip flops off and walk were everybody else and been walking with their shoes off. I said shut up when we get past security you can go in the bathroom get a wet paper towel go in the stall shut the door and wash your precious feet. (I don't know if he really did this but I am willing to bet he did)Traveling with my husband is tough. He thinks that everyone should be extra nice to him or he has the right to get in their face. He also thinks just because he says so it should be. We got to Atlanta without a hitch. However, when we got off the plane we were on the opposite end of the concourse. We were on A30 something and had to get to B33. Well let me tell you it was really really really far. Because of all the delays people were running everywhere. I had never seen it so crowded. Anyway when we got to Atlanta I realized that Noah was running a fever. So, we paid 10.00 for the tiniest bottle of childrens tylenol. We finally get all the way down to B33 and we had to sit on the floor because that's all there was. Right after I gave Noah the children's tylenol the gate sign changed and said that our plane was now going to be at gate B18. Let me just tell you I was tired, and gate B18 was really far away. So, we drug ourselves down there. Chris and Bethany were way ahead of Me and Noah. Noah and I didn't care.When we got to the gate they told us that our plane was going to be delayed. They at that point didn't really know for how long it could be 4 hours. At that moment I was thinking maybe we should have waited until tomorrow morning like the lady sugguested first. We were delayed for 2 hours Anyway, there was another plane that was leaving Atlanta going to Pittsburg at gate 16. However there wasn't anyone there. They had been waiting on the plane for a long time. They didn't have clearance for take off. We finally got on the plane and the pilot came on and said'Well folks we don't have clearance for take off, so we are going to fly out right behind the other plane that is heading for Pittsburg. I don't want to wait the other plane has been waiting 2 hours for take off. Then we are going to keep it at 22,000 feet all the way to Pittsburg. Also, I know the time for this flight is generally 1 hour and 40 minutes, but today we are going to do it in 1 hour and 12 minutes." I am not making any of that junk up. It was crazy, but it was late and I just couldn't care about it at the time.

Only Chris and I flew home on Sunday. We got to the airport but due to weather in Atlanta again we were changed to another flight for the next day.Delta gave us tickets for US Airways for the following day. Because of this we had to have extensive securtiy done. The security was so bad the only good thing was I got to keep my clothes on, but let me tell you she knew every inch of my body. GROSS

it is good to be home. It is good that the kids are all off doing their own things. When they get home it will be time to get back on track.School is right around the corner.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Lynsey is with her Mom until July 31, Kelsea is with her Mom until Aug. 7th, Christopher is with his Mom until July 28th, and Bethany and Noah are with Aunt Harmony until we fly in on July 24th.

So, we have a childless home. It stays so clean.

I miss them alittle, but the brake is nice.

When I married Chris he already had children, and Bethany came 9 months later. We only courted for 3 months so it is nice to get to spend time with only him, However he is driving me crazy.I mean can't we just sit and watch TV and do nothing. He thinks we have to go go go....

Monday, July 14, 2008

The reunion was a ton of fun. I feel so blessed that we were able to fly in and see everyone. The day went very well. We ate, the kids played games, we bought beautiful stuff at the auction, we gambled.....it was just a great day, done the Stoner way.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

We have been camping the last to weekends in our camper. I will have to take pictures of the camper and post them on my blog. It is sure isn't the nicest on the lot but it's not a tent.I grew up camping. My sister still takes her kids camping every year for over a week to the campground we grew up at called Tub Run. I always wondered how it got that name. I mean Tub Run really isn't a great name unless it has a great story behind it.I have alot of really great memories camping with my family and I hope my children will have alot of great camping memories too. The only difference is that when I was a kid there were alot of families that went camping and now it is only us. I mean don't get me wrong we love it but it would be alot more fun if other families (amanda, courtney, the pittman's, or my karin) loved it like we did. Maybe one day. I mean it is possible right.

then again I wonder how we find the time we are always so busy and the last two weekends it seemed like alot just to get out of town. BUT then when we get here there is a calmness, and a togetherness, that I just can't explain. I mean we see our kids everyday but camping we experience our kids.

I really think it is cheating the way we camp. I mean we have all the comforts of home like AC, TV, WiFi, Water, Electric BUT we still love it.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

So much has been going on.But today I don't want to talk about any of that. Today I want to talk about a turning point in my life.I have always considered myself crafty. I like to do all kinds of different kinds of crafts. I love the glue gun, and I used to actually sew. (Believe it or not)However, I never understood the idea of Scrapbooking. I mean I like to take pictures (it's in the blood), I like to organize my pictures, I like to look at my pictures, BUT I didn't like the idea of cutting them or only using some of them. So, I never did the scrapbooking. I liked the idea of making cards and tags and stuff like that, even though I didn't do a lot of it. Over the years I had been invited to scrapbooking parties and never went. My Aunt Julie even sold stuff but it just wasn't my cup of tea. On our first Kirkland family vacation we went to Gatlinburg, TN. In Gatlinburg they had the BIGGEST SCRAPBOOK STORE ever. Amanda and I finally snuck away and when we got there it was raining so hard we didn't go inside. At that point I still did not like scrapbooking but Amanda really liked it. That was the summer of 2006. Not long after we got back from the vacation I was arguing with myhusband. I was feeling like I had no friends and nothing to do that was away from my husband and kids. I felt trapped. He pretty much was saying tough, suck it up. He said something like what are you going to do, I mean you have nowhere to go. I said watch me I will find a place to hangout by myself and I left. I drove around town for alittle while and there was no place to go. I went looking for Karaoke and I couldn't find any in the whole stupid town. So, I circled around for awhile crying and feeling like a LOSER. Anyway I finally went home defeated.Then for some reason I was over by the Memory Boutique and I just thought whatever and popped in. That's when I meet Beverly. At the time Lenee was talking about how she wanted to start scrapbooking because her friend in Atlanta loved it. I was telling her that Amanda really loved it, and I am pretty crafty so maybe I would like it.The day I meet Beverly.It's hard for me to remember the exact day I meet her. It just always seems like she was there. I instantly liked her. She always makes me feel like a good person.Anyway, I went to visit one day after I had been shopping with the kids and they were making me crazy. I left the kids in the car with lunch and I went in to get a pep talk.I was telling her about what happened with Chris telling me I had no friends and no where to go. She said you should've come down to the store we were here. So, the next Friday I went to the Scrapbook store for my first Crop night.I went pretty regular from August of 2006-May of 2006 then school was over and I hadn't been in a long time. Then I started back and then at some point she went from every Friday to every other Friday. Then I started going off and on. I really loved going to crop. We would get there sometime after 5 on Friday and stay until after midnight. I did a lot of scrapbooking. I think I have some really good layouts.But crop is way more then just scrapbooking. I really got to know the women I cropped with and they got to know me. I really considered them friends.I laughed, and cried at crop. It was a lot of fun for me and it was really good for me.My husband has always been very supportive when it came time for me to go to crop. He never complained about taking care of the kids, or what time I came home. He even took care of Victoria when Lenee would go with me to crop night.June the 21st was the last crop at Beverly's store. She is now closed. I really wish that it wouldn't have happened but I understand that everything in life can't be the way we want it. At the last crop I didn't crop one thing all night. I shopped her mega sale, laughed and cried. I watched the sun come up with Beverly and Kathy. That morning when I hugged Beverly I knew that it was the end of something special.

I mean I know that we will still get together but it will never be the same.I am very sad.I miss my friends.